Physical Therapist Aides Salary
The median pay for a physical therapist aides in Wilmington, NC is $31,510/year ($15.15/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $38K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.42), that's roughly $32,680 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,426/month, about 65.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $32K get you in Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (96.42). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About physical therapist aides
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What this looks like in Wilmington
Pay for physical therapist aides in Wilmington runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,426/month, which is 66% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.42) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for physical therapist aidess.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for physical therapist aides in metros near Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $35K | $36K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $35K | $36K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $35K | $37K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $38K | $39K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wilmington, NC
Entry-level physical therapist aides (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $32K. Top earners bring in $38K or more, a $8K spread from bottom to top.
Physical Therapist Aides pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Physical Therapist Aides salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $56K | +58% | 110 |
| Minnesota | $42K | +20% | 150 |
| Colorado | $42K | +19% | 360 |
| New Hampshire | $40K | +15% | 130 |
| Maine | $40K | +13% | 90 |
| Washington | $40K | +12% | 760 |
| District of Columbia | $39K | +11% | 30 |
| Montana | $39K | +11% | 110 |
| California | $38K | +9% | 7,330 |
| North Dakota | $38K | +7% | 120 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | +6% | 1,020 |
| Ohio | $37K | +6% | 760 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | +4% | 840 |
| Illinois | $37K | +4% | 680 |
| Oregon | $36K | +2% | 1,090 |
| Connecticut | $36K | +2% | 520 |
| Pennsylvania | $36K | +1% | 1,200 |
| Kentucky | $35K | +1% | 160 |
| New York | $35K | +0% | 4,950 |
| Arizona | $35K | +0% | 1,340 |
| Florida | $35K | -0% | 1,210 |
| Indiana | $35K | -0% | 860 |
| West Virginia | $35K | -1% | 170 |
| Maryland | $35K | -1% | 830 |
| North Carolina | $35K | -1% | 1,050 |
| New Jersey | $34K | -2% | 2,230 |
| Delaware | $34K | -3% | 300 |
| Hawaii | $34K | -4% | 60 |
| Virginia | $33K | -5% | 1,260 |
| South Carolina | $33K | -6% | 370 |
| New Mexico | $32K | -9% | 240 |
| Nevada | $32K | -9% | 900 |
| Texas | $32K | -10% | 5,710 |
| South Dakota | $31K | -11% | 70 |
| Rhode Island | $31K | -11% | 280 |
| Georgia | $31K | -13% | 1,200 |
| Wyoming | $30K | -14% | 240 |
| Tennessee | $30K | -14% | 710 |
| Arkansas | $29K | -16% | 160 |
| Michigan | $29K | -17% | 1,810 |
| Missouri | $29K | -17% | 750 |
| Utah | $29K | -17% | 1,130 |
| Iowa | $29K | -17% | 390 |
| Idaho | $29K | -19% | 540 |
| Nebraska | $28K | -20% | 670 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -22% | 370 |
| Mississippi | $27K | -22% | 270 |
| Alabama | $27K | -23% | 750 |
| Kansas | $25K | -28% | 440 |
| Louisiana | $22K | -36% | 1,380 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track physical therapist aides salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Wilmington numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare Support
Frequently asked questions
Can a physical therapist aide afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $32K, rent takes 66% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,426/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for physical therapist aides in Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new physical therapist aides typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,798/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 79% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is physical therapist aide a high-paying job in Wilmington?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $32K here vs. $35K nationally.
How does Wilmington compare to the national average for physical therapist aides?
Wilmington pays $32K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $33K — below the national median.
How much do physical therapist aides make in Wilmington, NC?
The median is $31,510 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,960, and experienced physical therapist aides can clear $37,840. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $32K enough to live in Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,162/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 66% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a physical therapist aides salary go in Wilmington?
Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 96.42 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median physical therapist aides salary is worth about $32,680 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do physical therapist aides get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.